


we're more alike than we know

by irlmikleo



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 03:41:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6595156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/irlmikleo/pseuds/irlmikleo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Takumi ends up getting stood up on a date, and Leo, a waiter at the restaurant, tries to cheer him up.<br/>(Modern AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	we're more alike than we know

**Author's Note:**

> OKAY so this is my first ever fanfic posted it's rly short compared to my other writing but!! whatever i just wanted to hurry and post something on here lmao  
> shoutout to elias for giving me the idea in the first place!!

Takumi checks the time on his cellphone for around the fourth time this evening. It was 9:00. The restaurant would be closing soon, he notes, a sigh full of exhaustion escaping his mouth. He trims a finger around the top of the wine glass he had ordered previously, but has not decided to take a sip of it yet. It seems that he'd have to face the truth at this point; the truth that the person he was supposed to be meeting here would never show.   
  
To him, it wasn't surprising that he had been stood up. He's never had much confidence in himself to begin with, and this was just proof enough that he couldn't even convince someone to go on a _date_ with him. It was disheartening, but he supposed it was for the best. As Takumi stands up from his chair and gathers his things together, the waiter whom had been serving him during the hour and a half he's been here approches the table. "....Er, the restaurant will be closing soon, sir."  
  
Takumi waves a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I was just starting to get my stuff together."   
  
"....So, your date never showed?"  
  
"....Guess not. Sorry to have been troubling you this whole time--er, Leo, was it? Yeah, I'll get out of your hair now."   
  
"Wait a moment, sir."   
  
"Huh? What is it?"   
  
"Well....you haven't ordered a single thing yet. I cannot possibly let you go home without trying one of our delicious desserts, now can I?" Leo's lips curl into a smile, taking out a small notepad along with a pen. "What would you like?"   
  
"Wait, I thought you said the restaurant was closing soon?"  
  
"It is....but not for another thirty minutes. You still have some time."   
  
"What are you doing this for?"   
  
"....I know how you feel," Leo starts vaguely, "....to be stood up, I mean. It's happened to me more times than I can even count," He gently laughs, but not geninue in the slightest. "I suppose that's one of my reasons. Anyways, if I were to recommend you one of our desserts, I'd recommend you the cheesecake we recently added to the menu. Unless you don't like cheesecake, I mean."   
  
"....Nah, cheesecake sounds fine," Takumi manages a smile now, returning to his chair at the table and scooting up. "....O-oh, uh....I'm Takumi, by the way. You should at least know that."   
  
"Takumi, huh? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Takumi."  


 

* * *

  
"Wow, this is delicious!" 

"I had a feeling you'd enjoy it," Leo comments, sitting on the other side of the table with a head resting on his hand, watching Takumi shove the cheesecake in his mouth like a child. Leo laughs briefly at his lack of maturity."....My, my, you really were hungry. You really should've ordered something earlier." He continues, reaching for the tea he had gotten himself and taking a sip. 

"I guess," Takumi brushes off, placing the fork down after finishing half of the cheesecake. He goes to check the time on his cellphone again. 9:15. "....Er, you said the restaurant closes at nine thirty, right?" 

"That's right. Most of the employees are heading home around this time, though," Leo replies, "....except for me, unfortunately. I had the joy of being put on cleaning duty tonight, so I won't be heading home until around ten or so." 

"Aw, that sucks." 

Leo shrugs a shoulder. "I suppose, but it puts an extra hour on my paycheck." 

"....So, uh....are you a new employee here? I've been to this restaurant before a few times with my family, but I've never seen you around here before." 

"Yes, I started sometime around last month. I knew I'd had to get a job when I moved to my own place, and one of my friends recommended here," Leo explains, briefly taking another sip of his tea then resting it back down on the table. He folds his hands together and places them under his chin before continuing "....What about you, Takumi? Do you go to college?" 

"College? Uh, not really....it's just something I've never been interested in," Takumi responds, going to scratch his cheek awkwardly. "....I have a job, though. I work at the shooting range downtown- ya know, the archery one? It's a pretty fun job, but it doesn't pay all that much." 

"Oh, I've been there before with my friend Niles before. Do you know him?"

A shiver goes Takumi's spine. "....Oh boy, do I know Niles. He takes archery a little too....far sometimes. I swear he's some kinda sadist or something."

"I agree with that."

"....So, what kind of hobbies do you have?" 

"Hobbies? Well, I like to read--"

"Obviously, you've been carrying around that huge book all night," Takumi interuppts, glancing down at the thick, hard-back book laying on the table next to Leo. "....What, I'm guessing you're a bookworm or something?" 

"Bookworm?" Leo repeats, somewhat offended. "I'm not a bookworm, I just enjoy reading. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with reading, I mean sometimes even _I_ like picking up a good book and reading it....but I've _never_ seen anyone carry around a book as big as that. How can you even walk around casually like it's as light as a feather?" Takumi asks, "Bookworm. Definitely."

Leo fights the urge to roll his eyes at the comment, taking another sip of his tea instead. "....You shouldn't assume things about people you've only just met," He starts, resting the teacup back down on the table and folds his hands together again. "....but I suppose you're not wrong. You're not the only one who's ever called me that; like Niles and Odin, for example...." He sighs a bit, "....they're a handful." 

"Friends of yours, right?"

"Unfortunately."

"Heh! At least they're not like the guys I hang around," Takumi snorts, folding his arms across his chest. "Oboro and Hinata....I mean, they're the closest friends I've ever had, but they're _so_ hard to deal with sometimes! Always causing trouble and then proceeding to get me, the innocent one, in trouble too! I can't recall how many times my older brother's scolded me over things they've dragged _me_ into...."

Leo laughs softly. "My, seems like we're both troubled by our friends, huh?"

"Yeah....guess we're a lot alike, huh?"

"....It seems so."

As silence crosses between them, Takumi found himself staring into Leo's soft, amber eyes. _Now that I think about it....Leo's kinda cute, isn't he?_ He flushes immediately at the sudden thought, a hand covering his mouth as he quickly turns his head away. _W-wait, what am I thinking? I...I've only just met the guy! Snap out of it, Takumi! You were just dumped for crying out loud!_

"Something the matter?"

"N-nothing!" Takumi quickly replies, waving his hands. 

"....Well, Takumi, is there any other hobbies you have besides archery?" Leo asks, proceeding to take another sip of his tea in the process. There's a smile on his face, as if he's intrigued, in a way. "....I'm interested to learn all there is about you." 

"Y-you're interested? Well, I can't help but admit that you're the first person to ever, well, say something like that..." Takumi laughs briefly, scratching his cheek. "I mean, people usually ignore me, or don't want to associate with me....I don't really have any other friends besides Hinata and Oboro, to be honest," He's smiling, but it's obviously not geninue. There's loneliness behind that smile, and Leo notices that. He's seen that sort of smile before, perhaps looking into his own mirror, he has. 

"....That's a shame. You seem like such a charming person, Takumi. Anyone would be lucky to be able to have the time to talk to you like this," Leo states, geninuely and sincere, a hand holding up his head with a warm expression returning to his face. "....and I'm being honest. Although a bit awkward and a bit ill-tempered, you're interesting through and through. In fact, I can see a resemblance to myself in you."

"R-really?"

Leo nods, "Mm-hm. Now tell me, what else do you like to do in your free time?" 

"O-oh, right....Well, besides archery, I like playing shogi." When Leo gives him a confused look, Takumi gives a light chuckle and further explains the response, "Shogi is kind of like Japan's version of chess, in a way. Back in Japan, I was a national shogi champion....A major accomplishment, if I do say so myself," He places a hand on his chest proudly, "....although, it's not as popular here in America, I've noticed." 

"You say it's like chess? That so happens to be one of my hobbies."

"Oh, really?"

"I used to participate in chess competitions back in high school," He explains, "A national chess champion, four years in running!....Although, ever since I started going to college and managing a job, it's been hard for me to return to my old hobbies. I'm simply too busy these days, you know?" A sigh escapes Leo's mouth, rubbing his temples gently. "....but, I suppose I wouldn't mind having a game or two again here soon. Care to join?"

"Wh-what? Well, I don't really know how to play chess...."

"You say it's like that, er....show-gee game, right? I'm sure it wouldn't be too complicated for you; besides, I was hoping we could meet up again after this," Leo replies, "Like I said before, I'm rather interested in you, Takumi....Perhaps, I have been for awhile," He finishes his sentence in a quieter tone, but before Takumi has a chance to question it, Leo claps his hands together. "Anyways, I've been wondering....Are you by chance related to someone by the name of Ryoma?" 

"Ryoma? Yeah! He's my older brother," Takumi replies, "Why? Do ya know him?"

"It's not that _I_ know him, but....he happens to be a friend of my older brother, Xander." Leo says, then lets out a light chuckle. "Well, I suppose a better term for their relationship would be "rivals"....Although, Xander goes on about him all the _time_. I can't help but think they're might be something going on between them, don't you think?" There's a smirk on his face, which causes Takumi to break out into a soft blush, averting his eyes and out of habit, scratching his cheek. 

"E-er, maybe....Ryoma has talked about Xander a few times before. I think he did mention your name before, now that I think about it," Takumi says, "You, and Camilla and Elise....right?" 

Leo nods, "My sisters. Camilla is my older sister, and Elise is my younger....As for you....Hinoka and Sakura, right?" 

"Yeah. Hinoka's the older one, and Sakura's the youngest."

"It seems like we have similiar families as well," There's a soft chuckle in Leo's voice as he speaks, but the smile on his face dims down slightly, eyes peering down at the half-empty teacup instead of Takumi's gaze. "It's so strange, Takumi....It feels like as if we met each other before this, somehow. Even though I know this is the first time we've ever formally talked to one another....It feels like...." 

"....we've known each other forever?" Takumi finishes, before going to avert his eyes again. He honestly doesn't know what he's getting so embarrassed about, but the fuzzy feeling in his chest is strange; unknown to him. "....Yeah....strangely, it feels like I've met you before. I don't know where, or why....but....this whole thing seems familiar to me....E-er, I mean, it could just be because we've seen each other on the street before....maybe?" 

"....Maybe....Hey, Takumi--"

"Leo," Another waiter approches the table, Leo's co-worker, and they both look up. "It's almost closing time. We have to excuse all the customers out now."

"Oh, right. I didn't even realize it had gotten this late," Leo chuckles briefly. He and Takumi then stand up from the table, Takumi grabbing his fuzzy-hooded coat and tossing it over his shoulders and zipping it up. After grabbing his cellphone and shoving it in his coat's pocket, he glances back over at Leo whom had asked, "You didn't finish your cheescake. Do you want a box so you can take it home with you?" 

"Nah, it's all right. Next time, I wanna be able to pay for it myself."

The lights in the restaurant start to dim down around them, and the remaining customers begin to make their way out of building one by one. Takumi pauses near the exit to glance back at Leo, whom had followed him. "Er....thanks for everything, Leo. I'll admit....I'm still a bummed out that I was stood up, but....Being able to talk to you like this made me forget all about that," Takumi's lips curl into a kind smile; one that Leo finds himself blushing at for whatever reason. "....So, thank you." 

"....There's no need to thank me, Takumi. It's been a pleasure to have been able to get to know you better," Leo replies, before leaning in an adding whilst slipping something into Takumi's coat pocket, "....frankly, I believe your date night wasn't ruined." 

"What do you mean--"

Before Takumi has a chance to question it, Leo is already turning around and heading off in the other direction. He stares after him for a moment, before reaching into his pocket and taking out the small, folded piece of paper he had slipped into it. He unfolds the paper, and that's when the realization occured to him. _"Frankly, I believe your date night wasn't ruined_." Those words ring in his mind as he stares down at the phone number listed on the paper. 

"Th-that....that....That was t-totally a _date_!" 

 

* * *

  
"You're late."

It's the following weekend, and Takumi and Leo had agreed to meet up for a supposed "study session". Study session? Takumi wasn't even in college! Either way, he's running late. When he arrives at their location, the local bookstore, Leo is standing in front of the building with his face buried in a book. It's a bit strange to see him dressed casually, in a loose, collared sweater and jeans instead of the restaurant uniform. But at least, Takumi can admit that he was right about something....

"....Total bookworm."

"What was that?"

"N-nothing, er....Sorry I'm late. My alarm kinda didn't go off...."

"What a poor excuse." 

"H-hey, shut up! Mistakes happen!"

Takumi nearly jumps when Leo slams the book close, was he _that_ nervous? Leo must have noticed how much he was sweating, how nervous he exactly was, and chuckles softly. "There's no need to be so nervous, Takumi. We're just having a study session....I mean, unless you'd like to see it as more than that. Either way, I want to be able to learn more about you. I want to have a chance at us becoming friends."

"B-becoming friends? Didn't we already skip a step, though?"

"Like I said, see it as however you please....But judging how flustered you are, you must have a crush on me, huh?"

Takumi's face proceeds to get redder, if that were possible. "Wh-what!? O-of course not!"

"Uh-huh." 

"What's that supposed to mean? Ugh, you can be a real pain, ya know!" 

_Again though, it's strange....Why does it feel like we've known each other before? That perhaps....Our fates had crossed long before this._


End file.
